Harry Potter is not a wizard and never attended Hogwarts. He's just a 20-year-old guy from Portsmouth, England, who has the great misfortune of sharing a name with one of the world's most famous fictional characters -- and he's pretty sick of all the jokes. Potter told the Daily Mail that, at first, he thought it was cool to have the same name as the whimsical wizard, but now it's just really annoying. As he told the paper, "After 12 years of it I couldn't count the amount of times I've heard 'You're a wizard, Harry.' It does wear a bit thin after a while. And I've heard all the puns about my wand."
The jokes and remarks have gotten so bad for Potter that he's the only person at his job who doesn't have to use his full name when talking on the telephone. When he first met his girlfriend, he had to show her his passport to prove that his name was real.
To make matters worse, real-life Harry Potter has a scar on his forehead, just like his fictional counterpart. It's not, however, a lightning bolt.
Potter says that the reaction to his name has ranged from the curious to the downright aggressive, and that he wishes that J.K. Rowling had never used his name. Rowling came up with it by combining his favorite boy's name, Harry, with the last name of her childhood neighbors.
This got us thinking: what other fictional characters would it totally suck to share a name with?
Bella Swan from "Twilight" Would you want to spend your high school years mistaken for a klutzy damsel in distress who obsesses over a moody, emotionally manipulative vampire? Come to think of it, we'd feel bad about anyone named Edward Cullen as well.
Ramona Quimby Teachers will make your life miserable when you're named after Beverly Cleary's famous troublemaker. Of course, it could be worse -- you could be named Beezus.
Alexander If you ever have a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, everyone is just going to think it's adorable. No one will take you seriously.
Fudge from "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and "Superfudge" Your parents named you Fudge. Your life is hard enough.
Tell us: Do you know anyone who has the same name as someone famous? Is it as awful as it is for our friend Harry Potter?
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Comments:
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Monday 02 November
By michelle
Try being named Michelle; I like the Beatles, but I hate that song.
Sunday 01 November
By Amanda
My ex-boyfriend's name is Zach Morris (Saved By The Bell). Haha.
Reply
Sunday 08 November
By Kaley
Cool points to you for dating a Zack Morris
Sunday 08 November
By Faith
I know a zach morris too. But since i was born in 97 not many people know of that show... Good for him i guess
Sunday 01 November
By Adolf
Well all of your guy's nicknames are bad but wanna no mine? it's Hitler just because my name is Adolf doesnt mean I'm friggen related to the most hated guy in the world......i no what you all mean it does get very VERY old
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By Sam
my intitals are S.A.W. i think its kinda cool to have 6 sweet movies named after my intitals. but after the 37527th time some1 says 'i need 2 borrow u, gotta cut down a tree in my back yard...' gets REALLY annouying... even ppl i dont no do it...
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By barb
My initials are BS too! However, when I married it would have changed to BM - just as bad!
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By georgie brent
I have a friend named Steve Martin, nd he has NO sence of humor at all.
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By Shirley
My best friend's name (before she married) was Kellie Bundy! She hated it in high school....that was almost 20 years ago! :-)
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By Ted Bundy
Waa Waa,,,,,try 30 yeaqrs of TED BUNDY
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By exclusive
My uncles name is Bruce Wayne and he hates it!! :-p he's heard every joke there is about Batman :)
Reply
Monday 02 November
By michelle
Guy I served with in the army had a last name of Batman.
Sunday 01 November
By ruby
my names Ruby. if you dont think being told, "Thats such a pretty name!" every time you meet some one new, then try being called Ruby Tuesday. or try having it sung to you by every older man you know. then theres the occasional-"Ruby Ruby Ruby Rubaay" from the song Ruby by Kaiser Chiefs. whats worse is those assignments that every one thinks are so fun- the ones where you find the true meaning of your name. maybe it's cool to someone names like Tori, or maybe molly. because at least those are different. mine simply means red rock. another thing is being called Ruby Bridges, which wouldn't really be a bad thing, concidering her heroism. If it didnt get completely redundant.
Reply
Sunday 22 November
By Tahuaya
Try lugging Tahuaya around when you are a male. Any name ending in a is supposed to be a female name but my name is Native American and my last name is Hispanic.
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By Sarah Cox
Yeah well my last name is Cox. I've heard em all.. sarah sucks cox , sarah likes cox, etc... Oh what a joy high school was ;/
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By kieyran107
my name is jenny and i still get the dang forest gump jokes. started in middle school back when the movie first came out. i play on a game and did not even tell my friends my name. just told them to call me kuro, rose, or jaded and they do. most now know my name and still call me by what i asked them to call me when i told them why i got upset over my name.
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By laineyb
Another stellar job of reporting, AOL. For the record, JK Rowling is female althought the author of this article managed to use both the male and female pronoun in the same sentence. Morons
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By Kyouya-chan
Wao! I got the initials SM so I get stuff about that.
Harry Potter could be so much cooler, though I could see where all of the "Wand" jokes and such would get.....ano...annoying... Hehe, just grin and bear it I guess, Even make jokes yourself if it helps (Which, in my exp, it does x_x )
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By m
I know a guy named Chris Brown. He goes to my school.
Reply
Sunday 01 November
By nestor
My name is Nestor and have been called Nest, Nestle, Nesi, instead of understanding Nestor when they ask my name they hear Lestor so 3years ago I started telling everyone I met my name is Nes so some get it but some ediots must not hear right and call me Les, well I don't let it get to me anymore after 44 years guess what call me what ever the heck you want just don't call me LATE to have a good social time baby!!!!
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